Introduction

To get the correct tariff classification of your goods you can request a Binding Tariff Information (BTI) ruling. It’s not a legal requirement to have a BTI ruling, but it has advantages. It gives you:

certainty about the correct tariff classification for your goods

a commodity code for goods that you import or export

help to work out customs duties, export refunds, licensing requirements, quotas or other restrictions in advance

Apply for a BTI ruling

To register to use the online system select the ‘Organisation’ option (regardless of whether you’re an agent, individual or company) on the eBTI Service on the Government Gateway website. You will be given a User ID and will be able to select a password.

Once you have an active account with a User ID, identify yourself each time you log in with your:

How to use a BTI ruling

If an agent or other representative completes customs documentation on your behalf, give them the correct commodity code from the BTI for the goods.

The BTI is non-transferable. If you’re the person named on the BTI, it may only be used by you or an agent acting in your name and on your behalf.

Changes to BTI rulings

A BTI ruling can be withdrawn if inaccurate or incomplete information was provided. It’s normally valid for 3 years, but it may end earlier if there are changes to:

regulations or their interpretation

your goods

the way the system works

rules about the classification of goods

the law

how Customs interpret the classification

If a BTI ruling ends because of a change in an EC Regulation or a new European Court Judgement or Classification Opinion, you can still use it for a limited time if you can show that you have a binding commercial contract made on the basis of the original BTI decision.

Confidential data

BTI rulings are kept on the European Binding Tariff Information database (EBTI database) owned by the European Commission.

Any information or image that you mark as confidential when you submit the application will not be stored on the database. It will only be used by the Tariff Classification Service to allow an accurate commodity code to be given.

The acceptance boxes on the summary page of the application relate only to the information shown on that page and not to any confidential material.

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